Ambitious Delicious(ness)

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I’ll say it again: I love all things that taste similar to pumpkin! The good thing our fall butternut squash is that it’s here to stay, even through the winter months. That’s how versatile they are!

This dish is going to quickly become one of my favorites; a good candidate dish to make for guests so that I can take all the credit for its tasty goodness while pretending to have spent all day slaving over it. A simple sauce is features the sweetness of the squash, mixed with earthy spices, then a hint of milk. I would recommend going easy on Parmesan cheese, as to not overpower the delicate flavors.

Recipe: Butternut squash over pasta

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash
1/2 pound of Penne (or any other pasta)
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of skim milk
1 tablespoon of butter
3 teaspoons of lemon juice
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
6-7 leaves of fresh parsley, chopped
Dash of nutmeg
Fresh cracked pepper
Salt

Procedure:

1. Heat oven to 350. Cut squash halfway, lengthwise. Remove innards and seeds (discard or save for later). In a baking sheet, place squash face down. In an oven safe container, add about 3 cups of water and place on the bottom of the oven (to help the squash cook faster). Cook for 40 minutes, until tender.

2. Using a pairing knife, remove pieces of squash by scoring it.

3. Bring 5 cups of water to a boil with salt.

4. In a frying pan over low heat, add butter. Add pieces of squash. Add cheese, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Raise heat to medium, and cook through.

5. Slowly stir in milk to combine the ingredients in the pan and then add cheese. The squash pieces should still remain chunky. (You can puree this if you want it to resemble tomato sauce.)

6. Meanwhile, add pasta to the boiling water and cook. Remove after 6-7 minutes for al dente. Remove from heat.

7. Garnish sauce with fresh parsley and extra cheese if desired. Serve over pasta.